joatsaint

I'm getting my 15 minutes of fame or should I say, my 1 hour of fame. :-) I'm getting naked on The Naked Truth - Sunday Oct. 4th 7pm CST. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF2gfgx3NcfBCB-_2SkCarQ The Naked Truth is a live WLS support show on Youtube. Hosted by Jennifer Bleecher and Elizabeth We discuss life before and after WLS. The The Naked Truth is a candid look at real life experience and how we traveled this WLS adventure. And how you can apply our hard won knowledge to make your WLS adventure a success. Join the fun and get your WLS questions answered. :-) https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF2gfgx3NcfBCB-_2SkCarQ If you would like to receive the latest newsletter updates and helpful tips/advice, I invite you to subscribe to both my Youtube channel and my email newsletter. You'll also receive my free ebook and any future free ebooks I publish. Get my latest free eBook here == http://frankensleeve.com

I know where you're coming from when it comes to cravings. The pre-op diet was the toughest part of this whole adventure. But the good news is, you know there is an end point to the pre-op diet. Knowing the end date made getting through it much easier. And post-op, those relentless food cravings were gone! Get my free eBook - The Top 10 WLS Fears and How to Kick Their Butt!

Here's one website that lets you do a virtual comparison of before and after - http://www.modelmydiet.com/ They have an iphone app, the android version is coming. The links for the apps are at the bottom of the website. Here's an Android/iPhone app that may do the trick - http://visualizeyourweight.com/ I have not tried them out, but I hope these help. Get my free eBook - The Top 10 WLS Fears and How to Kick Their Butt!

I started taking these this week. They taste pretty good, kind of a berry flavor. Sometimes they have a bit of a bitter aftertaste, but I can live with it. :-)

One of the things that keep the weight on me is processed foods. I had to eliminate almost everything that comes pre-packaged, including the "healthy" meals in the freezer section. So many chemicals are added to stabalize and make the processed foods taste good, we don't know what the effect is on our metabolism and blood sugar. I stick with the rule, "Only eat things that are the ingredients for other things." :-) == Get my Free eBook - The Top 10 WLS Fears and How to Kick Their Butt! == get it here ---> http://frankensleeve.com

Yep, I noticed a real change in how much I could hold at 6 months and again at 9 and again at 12. From there on, it was stable at 1 1/2 to 2 cups, depending on the Protein to vegetable ratio. By 6 months, Frankensleeve's swelling had gone away and he would tolerate more types of foods. So it was important to stay with my doc's recommended Proteins and carbs. But I still continued to lose weight. It took my body about a year to lower it's metabolism to match my lower caloric intake. Take advantage of this time to get into good eating habits and a good exercise routine. It will pay off if your metabolism starts to slow.

I had the Sleeve, and the feeling of being full is not the same post-op. Before, I had that "oohhhh, my belly's full" stretchy sensation... that was very satisfying. After, I have that, "oh crap! I ate one bite too much!" tight, pulling sensation, that doesn't feel good at all. Which is a good thing in my book. That feeling keeps me alert and mindful about watching my portion sizes and stopping when I feel satisfied, instead of overeating. :-) == Get my Free eBook - The Top 10 WLS Fears and How to Kick Their Butt! == get it here ---> http://frankensleeve.com

I am 48, and believe I had mild sleep apnea since grade school. But it really kicked in in 2009 - after I gained about 100lbs. And weighted about 375lbs. I was on a CPAP machine 2010 - 2013. It took about 10 months after WLS and losing 130lbs to eliminate my apnea. Somewhere around Oct 2013, I started noticing I my sleep without the CPAP was almost as good as with the CPAP. A month later I was able to stop using the CPAP machine and have never used it again. http://www.bariatricpal.com/blogs/entry/31195-blow-is-just-an-expression-cpap-and-sterilized-water/

I like these A LOT! Just be sure and stick to the listed serving size on the back of the pack. They're so good, it's waaaayyyyy to easy to overeat on them - even though they are low calorie. :-) I tried the Quest Protein chips too -

Well I think you can add passing the psych eval as an NSV! :-) My eval lasted about 3 hours. 2 1/2 of which I spent filling out the questionnaire. I don't know if it was part of the eval or not, but they didn't provide any desks or tables to write on. So me and the other 2 guys were sitting there, trying to hold the clipboard/pencil in one hand and hold the 40 page questionaire in the other! Talk about a pain. I was pissed they did that to us! == Get my Free eBook - The Top 10 WLS Fears and How to Kick Their Butt! == get it here ---> http://frankensleeve.com

I would recommend Premier Protein chocolate shakes. I liked the flavor a lot. == Get my Free eBook - The Top 10 WLS Fears and How to Kick Their Butt! == get it here ---> http://frankensleeve.com

The best thing I did after WLS was to get my friends and family onboard as part of my support team. They were already supportive, but I made sure they knew my progress and felt like I was keeping them in the loop. That way, they felt like they were part of the process and didn't feel like I was moving away from them emotionally. == Get my Free eBook - The Top 10 WLS Fears and How to Kick Their Butt! == get it here ---> http://frankensleeve.com

I would think it would be pretty safe. I've never had an issue with charging anything on my credit card... including my hospital stay. I know from experience that my credit card company is on my side if there is a dispute. If this charge is going to be substantially bigger than your normal CC charges, you may want to call your credit card company and forewarn them. Otherwise it might get declined.

My doc didn't set an exact weight to lose pre-op. I was on his fast-track program and only had to do a 1 week diet. Once I was approved for surgery, completed all the tests, and got my surgery date, 1 week was all the time I had before being sleeved. I managed to lose 10lbs. First appt. with doc - Dec 7th 2012... Sleeved and released on Dec 27th 2012. == Get my Free eBook - The Top 10 WLS Fears and How to Kick Their Butt! get it here ---> http://frankensleeve.com

I am right there with you. Even at 3 years post-op, I can still remember how scared/nervous/excited/scared.... did I mention scared? :-) Not knowing how my friends/family were going to react when I told them I was having surgery. And what did I know about being "normal" sized? I have 40 years of being the "fat guy" at work, at home, and around my friends. The good news is, when I woke up from surgery, I wasn't instantly thin! :-) It took me 18 months to get to what I call "normal" size. So I had plenty of time to grow into my new body and get used to my new way of living. I can tell you, that it's sooooo much better after the weight loss. It was the best decision I ever made. Get my FREE eBook - The Top 10 WLS Fears and How to Kick Their Butt! http://frankensleeve.com

I had a rough recovery, but I was back at work on day 11. Get my FREE eBook - The Top 10 WLS Fears and How to Kick Their Butt! http://frankensleeve.com

I'm pretty self conscious about my loose skin and apron, but my girlfriend doesn't seem to care. I don't care if the lady I'm dating has an apron or not. I try my best (not always successfully) :-( to see the person inside, not what's on the outside.

I've never developed any cravings for any flavors post-op. But my tastes in foods have changed. I now love broccoli, cauliflower, and brussel sprouts. My old fast food favorites just don't taste that good anymore. (happy dance!) :-)

My turning point was in June of 2012. I was on a cruise and sitting on the edge of the bed, wearing a whit T-shirt. I looked sideways at myself in the mirror and I looked like a big white bag of garbage. My life was already miserable enough, between the constant head hunger, feeling trapped by my weight in a job I hated, limited mobility and the random pains in my knees and feet. I just couldn't see myself living that way for another year. Get my free eBook - The Top 10 WLS Fears and How to Kick Their Butt! http://frankensleeve.com

Thank you, that's exactly what I was looking for. I'd never realized that it was the complex carbs that weren't listed. I had tried Googling the answer a few times, but I was never able to get a straight answer.

Great article, but I have a question. Sometimes I will read a label and it will have a "total carbs" amount, for example: 20 total carbs. The label then lists the sugar carbs and sugar alcohol carbs and Fiber. But they don't always add up to the total carbs listed. Do you know what and why these unlisted carbs are? Thanks, Randy

I had my dating profile online waaaayyyyy before surgery. And kept it up. I didn't really meet anyone in person for 2 years post-op. I did send and receive many emails to prospective dates. None of them worked out long term. But I did use that time as "practice" on how to meet and talk to people.

eggs were definitely out for me, even after being released to full foods. Eggs are some of the hardest things to digest. I was on clear fluids, sugar free popsicles, and jell-o for the 1st week. 2nd week I was allowed full liquids - as long as there were no floating pieces in it. Your new tummy is swollen and irritated. You should stick to your doctor's recommended diet to allow yourself to heal.

I felt done when I could see how thin my skin was becoming. All my fat areas - stomach/neck/back of arms - don't look thin to me. But when I look at my forearms, hands, legs and feet, I can see the veins popping up. So I know my body fat is pretty close to where I want it to be. My doc wanted me to get down to 235, but I feel more comfortable at 205 - 210. The insurance charts say I should be at 185. But I figure I have at least 10lbs of excess skin, so I'm happy where I am. And I feel I look about as good as I'm ever going to by being this weight. :-P I have the feet of a bodybuilder!

I had the same problem. It was a good 6 months before I could tolerate solid chunks of meat. To solve the problem, I switched out between chicken/turkey/beef hamburger. Turkey hamburger was the easiest on Frankensleeve. But I mixed them with re-fried beans for most of my meals. Here's 3 of my favorite recipes: http://www.bariatricpal.com/blogs/entry/33646-bbq-sauce-low-carb-my-new-favorite-sauce/ http://www.bariatricpal.com/blogs/entry/31168-my-favorite-mexican-food/ http://www.bariatricpal.com/blogs/entry/31464-updated-really-cool-recipe-make-spaghetti-noodles-from-chicken-meat/