So Cal Kurt

I think I was just lucky as far as the skin goes. I figured at 49 years old, I would be a saggy wrinkled mess. I lost really quickly and the skin on my neck and belly took a while to tighten up. I do have a little trouble spot on the inside of my thighs but it is even getting better. And it isn't even that bad.

Thanks for all the kind words. In answer to your question, the weight loss didn't weird out my tattoos, they actually look better. Being that my skin snapped back and isn't saggy, they have better resolution for lack of a better term. The colors look better. Kind of like High Def TV for the skin.

I was sleeved on June 9, 2010, my total weight loss to date is 108 lbs. Looking in the mirror, day after day, it is hard to see a difference. Seeing side by side photos is another story.

Good to meet everyone. Hope to see you all soon.

The things I like the best are being able to tie my shoes without having to pull my feet up by my pantleg, the feeling my body has after showering after a good workout, Not having to take meds, not having to take my blood glucose every day. Not having to pay a gardener to mow my lawn, looking down and seeing a penis. Having limitless energy, Fitting in the shower of my RV with room to spare, my Harley handling a lot better and going a lot faster. Looking at the looks on peoples faces when I show them my ID and they ask, " is that really you?" My pcp telling me we can uncheck the Diabetes, Hypertension and Obesity boxes on my medical chart. Buying off the rack clothes that actually fit right, packing for a trip and having extra room because my clothes take up so much less room. Size small underwear. Sexual function and stamina . The list goes on and on. BTW, I am also shocked when someone calls me a small guy or thin. In my head I am always going to be the fat guy.

I didn't have or have ever a bread restriction from the Dr but soft bread or anything doughy caused discomfort. As the months have passed, I was finally able to tolerate it around 7 months out. I could always handle toast or crackers, it was just soft breads that gave me a problem.

What is it with the peanut butter? I have a jar in my locker too!

I am thinkingI am not the only one that deals with this. I work a brutal rotating shift schedule, 12 hour shifts, alternating between days and nights a total of 14 shifts in 28 days. When I am on nights, I have major carb cravings. I know why, it is all serotonin related. I am just wondering what others do about it. It pretty goes on all night every night. I usually don't give in and do OK. When I am on a regular day schedule, I almost never crave anything. Good thing I only work 7 nights a month. The more I have lost the worse it has gotten.

First of all, congrats on your success. I had been through stalls and gains. For me, protein intake and exercise has been the key. as long as I was able to get my 60g of protein in and get at least 30 minutes of real cardio in 3x a week I was good. When I deviated, I stalled. Any kind of lean meat or fish are excellent sources of protein. How about cottage cheese? You say you don't like shakes but have you tried making a frozen shake with ice and low fat milk?

Congrats! It is going to make things so much easier doing it together. Apprehension is a normal thing, no one wants to be cut open and start a new life with no first hand knowledge of what to expect.

I can eat pizza but only as a last resort. usually during an ordered in lunch at work. It was one of the last tings I was able to tolerate. Healthy fast food is a bit of a problem but KFC works, they have Grilled chicken. A little high in sodium but a grilled breast has 210 calories and 34g of protein, I usually eat maybe 1/2 or 2/3 of one and the mashed potatoes and gravy have 120 calories, I don't even eat half. My wife is sleeved and she likes the honey BBQ meat. A snacker is the perfect amount for her(maybe a little to big of a portion) with the bun it is 210 calories but she might eat half of the bottom part. Wendy's chili works, wendy's baked potato with chili works, just remember you won't eat it all. Also burgers work, don't expect to eat a bun at first and when you can finally eat a bun, make sure you ask for it extra toasted. I was great at poaching from other people. I also find fried foods make me feel bad. Can't put it into words but you will understand. Any kind of chicken works but remember the fried thing. Opt for grilled or baked if you can. Any kind of mexican you can get beans even early out or better yet fish tacos. Flour tortillas might be a problem, go for corn. BTW, My daughter ordered Papa John's earlier this week. My wife and I had leftover chicken Fajita's that I made. I did have to have a bite, it tasted good but not as good as I remembered. We eat out a couple of times a week, but try to stay away from fast food. being that we are both sleeved, we can split a sandwich at a sit down place and be out for $10 because we can't even buy a soda. Sometimes we might just split an appetizer and buy a side like mashed potatoes or veggies.

My wife and I are both sleeved, started out to have it done at the same time. Went to the information seminar in March of 2010. got moving on the pre-op stuff submitted to the insurance in late April 2010, I got approved and she got denied. I went through with it on June 9, 2010 even though I didn't want to do it alone. I had co-morbidities and even though her BMI was a few points higher (mine was 41.8) she got denied. She was finally approved in January of this year and sleeved March 23. I think it would have been a lot easier to have it done at around the same time a few weeks apart as we planned. I think the way everything happened, it caused a lot of friction between us due to lifestyle and being on the same page. Now that she is on kind of the same diet as I am, things are so much easier. She still has a couple of weeks to start a real workout regimen but has started at the gym and our lifestyles are finally starting to sync up. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't that she wasn't supportive because she was, I just felt alone in my struggle. For me the beginning was very hard mentally. As far as the recovery, we both had no problems, I was back to work after taking more than enough time in 2 weeks. My wife teaches nursing at a local college and was teaching a 4 hour lecture 6 days after surgery and teaching both clinical and lecture the following week. I am sure I would have been able to care for myself as soon as I got home. The only thing I didn't do was drive for the first 5 days as per Dr's orders. Both of us went in on a Wednesday and were released on Thursday. If you do have it the same day, make sure you have all of your post op items (protein, sugar free popcicles jello etc) on hand because you won't be able to drive to get them. Good luck in your journey!

I was on 2 doses each of 1000 mg Metformin and 10 Mg Glyburide prior to my surgery. Also took a dose of actos every day. Morning readings were in the 160s on a good day to 190s on a bad day. I stopped my meds 48 hours prior to surgery, did get a single injection of insulin in the hospital. When I got out, I was advised to check my blood sugar and if I needed it take what I had to. THe second day out, I think my #s were in the 140s and they declined from there. I never did take anything again for my diabetes and haven't since the insulin. That was June 9 2010. By 4 weeks out, my morning numbers were in the low 100s, 8 weeks out the 90s, finally around 12 weeks out after a week of 85s, I stopped taking it. out of habit I took it every few weeks to check and the highest I have had was a 98. I had an A1c taken in November, it was 5.6. (no meds) the last time I had labs, my PCP didn't even order one, he just ordered a regular blood glucose. It was 81. Don't sweat it, your liver dumps glucose when you sleep. It will level out and I would say as long as you aren't seeing anything approaching 180 in the morning, I wouldn't worry about it. I doubt you can get enough Carbs in to make a difference. Maybe try some cottage cheese before bed the protein used to help me when I was having high morning numbers. It is a hard adjustment letting go of the glucometer, It was kind of my lifeline but caused me a lot of frustration. BTW, I also stopped my bp meds after a few weeks(maybe 3 weeks out), halfed them first and then discontinued them (under my Dr''s orders) be careful, low bp can be as dangerous as high bp.

Remember, after you are a a few months out, you should be able to tolerate most any food. I did mourn food and my old lifestyle for probably 4 or 5 months. The post op diet for me was easier than the mental end. You really won't want to eat and when you do you will be more worried about getting in enough of what you need, there won't be room for anything else. You will be able to have a taste and if you are like me, that is about all you will want. When you are at,near or below goal, the whole thing changes again. You will be sitting down at the end of the dayt and tally what you ate and realize you were under 1000 calories for the day and decide it is OK to go have a kids size scoop of real ice cream. Make the most of the pre op diet. Food will lose it's hold on you, you will find new things to occupy your tie, you will realize that socialization over food changes to socialization at a restaurant and I actually find myself staying longer and enjoying the conversation and the company more than ever.Good luck, you will be successful and there are a lot of people here for support. As far as the co morbidities, they are gone and that is the biggest prize. You will see almost instant results on that end. Last diabetes drug I took was insulin in the hospital. I watched my morning readings steadily decline from 140s first day home(that in itself was an accomplishment because I was in the 170s with drugs) to the low 80s after 6 weeks. I finally stopped testing after 2 weeks of 86 every day. I took it every now and then until maybe 8 months out, haven't taken it since. A1c is now 5.6, and last fasting glucose form the lab was 81,can't see the point. BP is another story, I would up cutting my meds in half a week after surgery (asked Dr first) then 2 weeks later totally discontinued it. Now it is 117/73. that is as good as anyone can hope for. also had high triglycerides, low good cholesterol, high bad cholesterol high total cholesterol. Those are all remedied too. Good luck over the next few weeks, you have time.You don't have to go crazy before the liquids just be sensible. Walk every day if you can and start back as soon as you can after surgery. In my opinion, it made my recovery easier.

I had never had any type of surgery before with the exception of a tonsillectomy at 5 years old. I was also scared. My heath diabetes was advancing rapidly (A1C of 7.4), I had high blood pressure and I was probably right around the corner from a heart attack. The surgery saved my life. I can only speak for myself but I would do it over again in a heart beat. I had my surgery on June 9, 2010, Have had zero complications. My Diabetes is not only in remission, I am not even at risk for developing diabetes according to my last A1C (5.6). My blood pressure is normal, I have reversed all of my co morbidities and am not looking back. My wife had the same procedure on March 23, 2011. She has also had zero complications. She looks at medical procedures in a totally different way than I do. She teaches nursing in a registered nurse program at a local college. She is also working on her PHD in nursing education. If she had any doubts about the safety of the procedure or the competence of the surgeon, she would not even consider it or allowed me to go through with it. We were fortunate because our insurance covered it and we were able to choose a really good surgeon. If you have any doubts about your surgeon, find another. Of course there are always risks in any surgery and something could happen. For myself, the mental game was a lot harder than the physical. My wife seems to behaving a better time mentally than I did. I took 2 weeks off from work before returning. She was teaching a lecture 6 days after. The list of things I miss is short, a cold beer on a hot day, socializing over a really big meal. The things I don't miss are, not being able to bend down easily to tie my shoes, getting out of breath climbing a ladder, writing a check to someone every month to mow my lawn, shopping in the fat man section, not fitting comfortably in an airline seat and most of all taking 5 different medications every day to control my diabetes and high blood pressure(and still not having my diabetes under control). I am finally free from my insatiable appetite. I haven't taken any medication since my surgery. It feels really good to be in shape. I hit the gym 3-4 times a week now. It is easy and I actually look forward to it I hope you can decide what is right for you but I wish everyone on your side feels what it is like on my side. Sometimes we just need to take a leap of faith. Whatever you decide, good luck.

Between my initial consultation and my 2 week pre-op visit, I actually l lost 6 lbs. I started walking as much as possible to get ready. I was lucky and didn't suffer from the last supper syndrome. Perhaps the fact that I onl;y had 6 weeks between the initial informationa seminar and my insurance approval had something to do with it. All I can say is when you start your 2 week pre op diet, you try your best to follow it. It reduces the size of your liver and makes the surgery easier for the surgeon. It also reduces your risk for having your liver nicked during the surgery. I do have one regret of not having one really good last meal prior to my 2 week pre-op diet. I had a crappy Burger King burger that I didn't even enjoy nor finish. After a lifetime of gluttomny, in the end it doesn't matter I had more than too many great meals. I also had co-morbidities and that is what got me through it. Knowing that I would be able to overcome them and I did.

Pasta of any kind and soft breads had been the hardest to tolerate at first. Bread gave me more pain than anything else. Pizza was also incredibly difficult. I can tolerate pretty much everything at this point. One of the things I learned early out is to just get an appetizer for an entree. At that I can usually only eat half. Stay away from fried and high fat foods, they tend to go right through you (that can be a good thing) because I can't tolerate them anymore. Or ask if you can order off of the kids menu. Yes you will get the ," do you want crayons with that?" smart ass comment once in a while. Don't be surprised at how little you can eat. Lasagna would have been my first choice, not because of the calories consumed but the ratio of carbs to protein.

That is a good question. I am expecting that I am going to have to increase calories. I am planning on getting my body fat percentage checked either today or tomorrow so I have a better baseline than BMI to go off of. My ultimate goal is 18% body fat. Puts me right in the upper middle of the healthy range for my age. If I can by some chance make it to 13 or 14%, that will be good. I have been noticing increased strenghth and muscle size so that is actually gain of lean mass, coupled with weight loss. When I had it checked last I was at 24% at 207lbs, I calculated that at 191 I would be at 18%, I am actually thinking I am a little leaner than 18% that now. The calipers will tell. A BMI of 25 would be 179 lbs for my height. I am withing striking distance but don't know if the is where I really want to be. I feel great and what more can I ask for.

I don't have hunger but do have carb cravings when I work nights. I did some research and found that the carbs are craved for shift workers to regulate serotonin. Serotonin is the feel good hormone, normally released by the body during a regular sleep cycle. No wonder eating sweets feels good! I am probably the poster child of what not to do but I do give in. My overall daily calorie count is still low enough that an extra 200 calories 6 days a month isn't going to hurt as long as I get the cardio in to burn them. I am also finding that the slight calorie increase leads to a better weight loss the following week when I hit the gym every day for 2 or 3 days straight. As far as the Wendy's frosty. I have been have been having reduced calorie ice cream since maybe week 3. A Wendy's child size chocolate has 150 calories and 4g of fat. Either a weight watchers pop, a skinny cow or a child size frosty. My weight loss had been consistent though out. I am thinking I must have been hitting the sweet spot as far as exercise, calories and protein intake. I am under goal, still losing in the 1lb a week range and taking in 1500+ calories a day.

I have no problem telling people about my surgery, it saved my life. I have seen no negative attitudes at all. I have gotten the occasional, "what is your secret to losing so much weigh?' I tell them. I thought people would be a lot more critical, I have been pleasantly surprised. Maybe it is my age, I don't know. I have stopped worrying about what people think about me a long time ago.

When I met with my dietitian at my 8 week post op visit and she told me that I would need to eat 1600-1800 calories a day eventually. I wondered how i was going to ever get that much in. Well here it is 10+ months post op and I am probably getting 1500 or so a day in. I am thinking I am at where I should be in weight loss, BMI is still 27 but I am starting to look a bit on the thin side. That being said, I hit goal 6 weeks ago and have lost another 7 lbs since. I am eating 4-6 times a day, 3 meals plus 1-3 good snacks a day. Still following the protein rules and hitting the gym 3-4 times a week. All of my lab work is perfect and I have no health issues at all. Do I worry about my final weight or just go with it?

Tomorrow is another day, don't beat yourself up. It is funny how our old ally food still wants to be our support. It is really hard to unlearn old habits. The Reece's PB Eggs got me too. I was mad that my daughter left a bag on the counter last week. I know I ate more than a few. Just recognizing the pattern is the biggest thing. I came to a conclusion over Christmas that if it has chocolate and peanut butter, I am powerless over it. I just need to stay away from it. I gained 4 lbs in 5 weeks from the never empty tray of kiss cookies. I think I grabbed 2 every time I passed it. January came, I got back on track, lost the 4 and 4 more by the end of February. I hit goal and am now 6 under goal (well I was until this weekend). If we weren't powerless over food, none of us would be on this forum. Luckily for me, holidays are really the only time that there is junk food in the house. The good thing is that 30 minutes on the elliptical burns almost 400 calories, I usually do 40 minutes. One extra day at the gym eliminates 12 of those little Reece's eggs. Not so bad when you do the math.

they gave me loratab, a liquid pain med. went down easy, made me feel better. I didn't have to take any after my 2nd night home. (3rd night after surgery)

I am also from So Cal (Ontario) 10 months post op. My wife is also a sleever, 4 weeks post op. Already on the list for the May7 get together.

My Dr specifically told me no high calorie coffee drinks. I probably do drink too much regular coffee for my own good. I take it no sweetner with either 2% milk or my indulgence of half and half. Empty calories from drinks have been out of my life for a very very long time. Well except for the whiskey and bourbon. They haven't come up with low calorie Jack Daniel's or Maker's Mark yet. Some bad habits simply can't be totally overcome.