joatsaint

I have been thinking about getting ankle weights as well. I sit for 8 hrs. a day, but before work and during lunch, I try to walk 10,000 steps or 4.5 miles. I am only able to do the 10k 3 or 4 times a week, I'm still working my way up to 5 days a week.

I wasn't able to do the shakes till about the 5th day. I couldn't eat anything up to that point. I like the EAS Carb Control Chocolate shakes from Wal-Mart.

Update: 4-26-3013: It's still amazing to see what and how much comes out of me, considering how little I am eating. Most of the time, it feels like I am passing jagged rocks and it comes out looking like a pile of marbles. Then there are times like today, where this monstrous poo python emerges. And I'm thinking, "Where the hell did that come from? I just pooped yesterday and I haven't changed my eating habits or eaten extra food." Is there some storage area in the intestines I don't know about? Are my guts becoming some kind of Dooms Day Prepper? Some kind of "just in case we need it" secret poo stash? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller? I was visited by the infamous 3rd week stall. I didn't lose any more weight for about 5 days. Hit a 2nd wall on week 5, same thing. It takes me 4 - 6 days to start losing again. It helps speed up the process when I walk a little more than normal. But I've learned that part of the stall is tied to bowel movements. Post-Op, I only go every other day or every 3rd day depending on how much fiber/carbs I take in. You might want to consider how much waste your body is holding onto. My bathroom visits aren't steady at this point, sometimes I'll go twice on the same day. I'll be thinking, "Where the hell did that come from? I know I haven't eaten that much!" Sometimes I'll be over a pound lighter after a monster poop! My record is 2 lbs.

I agree, or Drive on past. But if you have to stop there, I'd pick the refried beans and hot sauce.

I think #1 should be: How many of the surgeon's patients survived?

Love your attitiude and your funny creative posts. Me too, fortunately/unfortunately I did have a pic taken of me at my heaviest. I was standing in front of a cruise ship. If you look closely at my waist, you can just make out the front and back of the ship peeking out around me.

I've felt that "drowning" sensation a few times when I didn't have the machine turned on before I put on the mask. But I was over a year suffering from severe sleep apnea. I had to take caffeine pills daily to stay awake and never ever felt like I was awake. I spent all my time off work, sitting at my desk feeling half awake and no amount of sleep would leave me feeling rested. It always felt like I had stayed up all night and I hit that 7am brick wall. The feeling that you'd give anything to go to bed right now. I had that feeling all the time. So it was a big relief when I had my 1st nights rest with the CPAP. I felt so rested that I didn't care if I had to wear the mask. I don't feel completely rested now days, but it beats the old days when I felt that life wasn't worth living.

OMG, That stuff is nasty. When I was in the hospital, my CPAP machine ran out of water. I asked for some tap water, and the nurse offered me some sterile water instead. At the time, I couldn't smell or taste anything, so it wasn't a problem. It was after I got back home and tried on my mask. The stench had infiltrated every part of the mask, tubing and reservoir. It took a few rinsing, but I finally got the stench out. Sterilized means that all the bacteria and viruses have been removed or killed, such as by UV irradiation or boiling. Distilled means the water has been boiled, the steam collected, and condensed back into pure water.

I have BCBS of Texas and was in for my 1st dr's appointment and in surgery in about 3 weeks. I had to do the initial dr. visit, 1 nutritionist counseling, hospital visit for bloodwork, ekg, and stomach scoping. Next was the psy evaluation, 2nd dr visit, and finally the surgery. I was insurance approved within 1 week of my 1st dr visit. In and out of the hospital in 2 days.

I am at 3 3/4 months and can eat pretty much anything as long as I thoroughly chew it up. I sometimes get heartburn or stomach gurgling with vegetables like broccoli or cauliflower but nothing else. I can eat 4 to 6oz depending on now "dense" the food is. For example, I can eat more of my cauliflower/turkey hamburger than my refried beans/turkey hamburger. But the difference is only an ounce or so.

Yah! Give us the details, how much did it weigh and what was the nutritional breakdown? Carbs? Protien? and Fat? I say take a Mulligan and don't worry about it.

I know that when I'm sleep deprived, I think about the small energy burst I get from eating a high carb goodie. It's a vicious circle, eat, feel better for a few hours, crash, eat again.

It might be caffeine withdrawal. I know that Excedrin has caffeine in it. I can definitely tell by the headaches I get, I haven't had caffeine in a few days.

I've still got one in the fridge that I bought back in Dec. I couldn't bring myself to try it.

Maybe they could give you a stomach transplant? Then you would find out too late that you had the stomach from a serial killer that died in the electric chair, vowing vengence on the world. And late at night your stomach would make you sleep walk to Taco Bell where you'd have 4th meal and kill all the workers and put their remains in the taco meat!!!!!!!!!!!!! See the movie - Taca Taca Taca Taco bHell - MUAHAHAHAHAHA

If they say you're crazy, tell them, "You're just jealous cause the voices only talk to me!"

I have had the same thoughts, but it immediately dawned on me that I WAS that guy just a few months ago. So I try real hard not to judge anyone else since I don't know their situation or motivations. Why hate someone because of their eating habits, when I can focus my criticism on more meaningful things like race or nationality.

I had planned on starting my weight loss surgery program in November 2012 and having the surgery during my Christmas vacation weeks. I’d be sleeved and back at work. Then I’d astonishingly start losing weight, with on one being the wiser. But I chickened out before I made my 1st appointment. I am not the kind to do anything as permanent as having most of my stomach removed. Heck, I won’t even get a tattoo. My motto: Always have a way out, a backup plan, a way to undo things if it’s a mistake. But at the beginning of December, I reevaluated my situation and fell back on the tried and true questions that motivated me to get through sticky times in my career and college. Do you want to be in this same situation a year from now? Do you see things getting better without going through this? And the answer to both was a resounding, “NO!”

Well, I'm a little late on the blog updates. I had planned to keep a daily update as soon as I got home from the hospital, but on top of gas pain and catching a cold, I've been pretty miserable until tonight. The gas pains are gone and I've pretty much whipped the cold. I didn't know it at the time, but the Blue Bell sugar free popsicles I was eating were causing lots of gas, along with sugar free Jell-O. So once I realized what was happening I stopped eating them on day 4. Since then, I've been doing very well with cream of mushroom and cream of chicken soup. Not that I"m eating that much at once, maybe a half teaspoon every 5 minutes. It takes me 3 - 4 hours to eat an entire 10oz. can. I've tried a variety of things - creamy peanut butter, Vienna sausage, boiled eggs, and chicken breast. I was able to easily tolerate a 1/2 tsp of everything except the chicken breast. I guess it's too hard for my stomach to break down, but it doesn't hurt. One thing I have discovered is that I tolerate things with a strong flavor better than weak flavors. I loved the sickly sweet flavor of the grape popsicles, but the cherry, orange, and lime really turned my stomach. And I'm still loving my Crystal Light lemonade, but I'm having to mix it at almost double strength to be able to taste it.

I think I started drinking coffee after the 1st month post-op. I don't really like coffee, but it does help me stay full and energized. I have felt sluggish and very low energy for years now. So I sometimes take caffeine pills, sometimes drink coffee. Coffee hasn't slowed down my weight loss. I tend not to eat as much when I drink it, so it's a trade off. I normally put 4 liquid creamers (I use liquid since it has no sugar) and 5 packs of Splenda in a 20oz glass. I'm down about 44lbs since surgery - 31/2 months ago.

Oooooh, thanks for the reminder to visit your profile and update your star rating. I feel all Siskle and Ebert each time. Too bad there's no way to add comments. I would write, "Her character was spot on and realistic, but the lighting and camera angles really detracted from her performance."

I think it was the end of my 3rd week I tried some peanuts, only 5 or so. Chewed em up till they were paste, my stomach grumbled a little, but otherwise I was fine. I had tried creamy peanut butter beforehand and had no problems.

My 1st week post surgery I was pissed at the world. I think it was from the surgery trauma. But I found that keying cars of idiot drivers mellows me out.

Well, I ain't getting any younger and a guy has to compete to catch their eye! And before you ask about the hair dye, YES, the carpet matches the drapes. When there is carpet!

Please, feel free to be offended. You have the right to feel the way you want. And I have the right to not care. And as far as telling them you don't eat pig or are a vegetarian. Those things directly affect your interactions with anther person. WLS, unless you are in an emergency situation, will never casually come up. If you feel like you need forgiveness or permission for having WLS, that's your choice.