Bubbaloo10

My reference point is the day I started my 2 week pre-op liquid diet, 5 months ago today. 89 lbs gone!

I'm 4 months out today and I've lost 83 lbs, 20 more to go to 180. There are a few factors you need to know: 1. The more you have to lose, the faster it will come off. 2. You've got to stick with the program and get lots of exercise. The exercise is the least of it. It gets easier as you get lighter. I went in looking for an RNY and my doc steered me toward the sleeve due to the fact that I only had two co-morbidities: sleep apnea and knee joints breaking down. My BMI was about 41.3 if I remember right. See my pix if you need motivation. Good luck.

I had 5 incision, plus one over my left ribcage that they used to pump air in for access. I think it has to do with the surgeons' skill and comfort level. I'm 4 months out and can barely see the scars, so even if there had been more, no worries.

I forced myself to endure to very tempting events that I probably should have skipped. One was Easter dinner and the other was an evening out at a western show that served BBQ. I got through it, drinking my protein shake, but it was probably my toughest challenge pre-op. Make it as easy on yourself as you can. You get no points for torturing yourself.

For most of us, this surgery has worked so well and, like someone who has suddenly found religion after a lifetime of sin, we want to spread the word. We hope everyone will be as enthusiastic about it as we are. The sad fact is that you can't change someone else's behavior unless he wants to change. I would suggest that you dial back the judgement and criticism as far as he is concerned. It will only breed resentment for him and for you. Stick to your guns for you and your son and you will be happier. Good luck....

Greek yogurt is one of my favorites. Any flavor you like, it will have 11-14 grams of protein per 6 oz cup, depending on the brand. It can be a little more tart than regular 5 gram yogurt, but I add a packet of artificial sweetener to it and it goes down fine. A one inch cube of cheddar cheese is pretty good too. I usually have two. Mozzarella cheese sticks are good, and if you microwave them with a little pizza sauce, you can almost believe you are eating pizza. I would urge you to keep trying various brands of protein bars until you find one you like. Good luck...

There are what I consider to be serious complications like major vomiting, major nausea for days on end, blood clots, leaks, etc. Then there are minor things resulting in painful incisions, minor nausea for a day or so, maybe even vomiting once or twice. Most of us have had some of the minor symptoms after surgery, but very few have the serious stuff. Personally, I had no problems at all. I was up walking 2 hours after geting to my room and walked off the minor gas pains from the residual air they pumped into me. I went home the day after surgery and went for a walk that evening. The next day, I began a regular exercise regimen (slowly and lightly) on the treadmill. I had some minor stomach pain the first night home that kept me from sleeping, so I got up and took some liquid pain med and it settled down right away and I got to sleep. I'm now 3 1/2 months out and feel great. I've lost 78 lbs and am 3/4 of the way to goal. I'd do it again in a heartbeat. My advice to you is to do everything the doc says to do, keep yourself in the best shape you can and keep a positive attitude. It's gonna be fine. Good luck.

I do believe that after you reach a certain point you will be able to eat anything you want to, but in small portions. It will be up to you to determine what is good for you and what will set you back. It would be great if your sleeve would automatically reject anything that isn't good for you, but that's not how it works. Most of us still have cravings for pizza, burgers, fried chicken, etc, but we have to make the choice to avoid them as much as possible and use them only for "reward" days. I had a Dairy Queen soft serve ice cream cone when I got to 50 lbs lost and again at 75. Does this mean I've fallen off the wagon? I don't think so, and I'm not going to if I allow myself a sin food once in awhile. Don't stress because you crave these things, but make a concious effort to control it.

Relax!!If the aliens wanted to harm us, they could have killed us all by now. I do believe they are among us, but I don't think they want to hurt us. I believe that if they had the technology to get here, their civilization is far beyond ours and they have abandoned the pursuit of war long ago.

The commercials were bad enough, but my wife records every cooking show on TV watches them one after the other. I'm 3 months out and I still think I'm gonna have to kill something......

I've got it too and I thought I was the only one. I've been told it happens when I don't get enough liquids in. There may be some truth to it, but once I get it, it doesn't go away right away when I drink liquids. Sometimes lasts a few hours after. Irritating!!

For shakes, I like the Body Fortress brand sold at Walmart. Less than 200 calories and 26 grams of protein per serving. I boost this by 9 grams by mixing it with 1 cup of skim milk instead of water. I also like the Pure Protein brand bars, also sold at Walmart. Less than 200 calories and 18 to 20 grams of protein, depending on what flavor you choose.

I think men lose more than women because of the different biological makeup. Women, by nature, are more prone to holding on to weight because of their child bearing capacity. Lactose intolerant? No. Spicy foods? Absolutely! Chili and salsa go down better than most things. I have trouble eating eggs and most meats, including hamburger. I think it is because of the density of these things. I can get them down, and still enjoy the taste, but I fill up very quickly when eating them and that sometimes lead to a feeling of overstuffed and mild pain for 15 minutes or so. . As for things I liked before, but don't like now, the only thing that fell into that category was a certain brand of fruit shakes that I could hardly stomach after surgery. I gave my oversupply away. For that reason, don't stock up more than a week or so supply before surgery because you may find out you don't like it after. I watch carbs closely, keeping in mind that some carbs are necessary especially if you exercise heavily. I hold to less than 70 carbs per day and burn about 430 calories in exercise (treadmill). I know if I overdue the carbs, I will not lose weight. This surgery was the best decision I ever made and I would do it again, despite the minor changes it has brought in my diet.

People used to tell me all the time that I was not fat, just big. This was, in part to my barrel chest. I knew I was morbidly obese but still wondered if I looked ok and didn't need the surgery. My questions were answered when I began to feel really lousy and began to bust out of a size 48 levis. I couldn't bend over to tie my shoes without getting out of breath. The least bit of exercise (like dancing) would make me sweat like a pig. My knees started breaking down due to the weight and that's what really scared me into getting the surgery. Almost from the start of the two week pre-op liquid diet I began to feel better, even though I only lost 11 lbs in that two weeks. I have no regrets, no compications, and feel better than I have in years. Weight-wise, I have rolled the clock back to 1979 and if I reach my goal weight, I will be back to 1971. Now, people compliment me on the weight I've lost and how good I look since losing the weight. Never heard that before and it feels great!