gmanbat

It's Mar. 6, 2012, 1 month and about 20 days since my surgery. I have lost 33 pounds since then, 63 pounds all together. Strength is increasing as I diligently exercise and get the proper Protein in. I am going for my lab test today for a follow-up visit with my surgeon next week. Here are the boxes X'd: CBC w/differential CMP Calcium Magnesium Phosphorous Iron Vitamin D, 25 Hydroxy Vitamin B-12 Folate Lipid Panel Because the Lipid Panel was checked I have to fast 12 hours and man am I hungry! I should have thought of that when I had a snack at 10 PM. I have new clothes and new old clothes that were too small before. I am more in touch with the real me. I have to stuggle to channel my new energy into useful pursuits, I didn't have this struggle before because I had very little energy to deal with. I don't regret this one bit. I can truly say, without my usual begrudging attitude, I am glad I listened to my wife! :wub:

I tell people, my wife doesn't, (she had roux n y). When people see you who haven't seen you for a few months they usually say, "Man, you've lost weight!" Followed by a blank stare that says, "What did you do?" I tell them the truth, wife hedges a bit. But I am ornery enough to use this operation to test people's character and understanding. I like to see their reaction and the struggle they have getting their head around the idea. Some think such a thing is out of character for me, they didn't know me as well as they thought. Some fight through things they have heard about it. But then some are excited and want to know more about it for themselves or someone they know.

Wow, CountrySJR, that is an extremely helpful link!!! It really spells it out. Thanks!

About the same as my surgeon's advice. Sounds like he/she is pretty careful: a good thing. This new tummy has the rest of your life to adjust. Too fast at the beginning can produce many hurtful consequences. I can dig how chicken broth gets old. I loved egg drop soup BEFORE I ate it constantly.

I don't know if circa will reveal her supplier. I just go to the park after dark. :ph34r: Not as good as canned, though. P.S. Use real vanilla, none of that imitation will do.

Prayers for you, C Arroyo. You are embarking on a great adventure. The hardships I endured and endure are nothing compared to the sense of victory over that stubborn fat that is getting booted off of the gman train. I am scrambling to devise uses for the new energy. It's life in an upswing. All the best to you!

Well, pretty fresh. CocoPuff is getting a little old but he is fattened up nicely. I was thinking Cleocatra, young but a little lean......dang, don't get me started again!

Circa got that tag by posting a lot and helping folks. She helped me psychologically and ethically by talking me out of eating my cats and turned me on instead to the taste of canned vanilla chipmunks. Yum.

I tried to delete the last post I made. I failed. How do ya do it? I think the OP was referring to me when he spoke of a "failed comedian". Hey, I'll have you know that my wife laughs at all my jokes when she wants some new shoes.

I went to a chinese buffet yesterday with my granddaughter. She ate from the buffet, I ordered a carry-out box, same price. My wife has a roux n y and we got 6 meals out of that one box. Not bad for $6.95. I ate egg drop soup for my first phase, was a big help. My first encounter with hot and sour was not pleasant. I think it was a combination of me eating too fast and the spiciness, it came back up. Could have been too early, too. I love the chinese vegetables if I know I have my daily Protein covered. Some of the breaded, sauced up meat is a bit chewy, I have to eat them slow.

Soooo.....if you don't need a doctor to tell you what to eat because you are a medical student and know as much or more than a doctor why would you seek feedback from a group of strangers on a forum? Just need sympathy? Ok, ....sorry you are having trouble. Hope you find some way to cope with your stupid operation.

Ya, I'm sick of this stupid sleeve telling me what to do! I wanna go back to ordering one large pizza for me and the other one for my family. I wanna go back to buying my clothes at the Goodwill because I'm off the rack in retail stores. I wanna go back to puffing like the little engine that could every time I climb the stairs to my bedroom. I don't need no stinking operation ordering ME around! I went to college!!!!

I saw some bird seed on the road and, despite my sleeve, I ate the whole pile. What a mistake! There were ball bearings in that seed and the coyote had a big magnet!! Luckily a truck ran over him before he could eat me.

After my exercise the other day my abdomen was very sore. I was worried about having diverticulitus, a problem I have had in the past. The soreness went away, thank God. I made some progress this morning, more knee bends, more push ups. I do a bodyblade and a kettlebell session as well. It's a slow war but "We're going to win this battle!" >We We're Soldiers 220 and ripped here I come!

We're just friends, Faddisk. This isn't Jersey Shore.

It's the next day after the exercise and boy am I tired! I can see this is going to take a while. No overdoing it, though, I keep telling myself. Looks like you are doing great, Lissa. My exercise plan differs from yours in that I lean toward heavier weights, fewer reps. My reasoning being that prolonged exercise depletes my energy too much. But for now all my weights are light weights and I just do what I can. I am not the guy I was in my 20's, I gotta remember that. Here is a pic from my bodybuilding days. Sorry for the Hans and Frans face.

I'm about a month and a half out of surgery. I went through a week of flu and a cold for another week in that time so my exersize has been sub-standard.I tried some push ups today, 2 only and on my knees! I also could only squeak out 12 knee bends. I haven't been this weak in distant memory. I am concluding that I have lost muscle tissue in my weight reduction, a substantial amount. Having been treated with testosterone-killing Lupron during my fight with prostate cancer in 2009-2010 I may be dealing with the residual effect of that, too. Also, I am 63. I am confident that I can overcome this and get my muscles back with proper diet and diligent strength training. Any tips from those in the know would be appreciated.

Thanks, Carlos. My wife thinks I'm beautiful. Seriously, prayers for you on your surgery. I don't regret mine at all. My life is on an upswing and yours will be, too. Hang in there, guy!

Yesterday my family and I went to a local restaurant after church. This restaurant is known for LARGE portions and is always packed. My wife, who had a roux n y, ordered stir fry and I got meat loaf and mashed potatoes. When we were done eating it was difficult to tell if we had eaten anything. Our meals were destined for the take home boxes to be slowly devoured over the next week or until they go bad. I looked around at the mountainous plates being delivered to other patrons and it astounded me that I had eaten like that. I had always pictured being weak eating the small portions that I do now. It just is not so. All the large meals did were keep me fat. I did not eat to provide energy and sustain life. I ate to satisfy an inordinate love of eating. I still love to eat but the volume is not of supreme importance.

Great responses! I think we pretty well agree that the guildlines are to be considered but not worthy of slavish adherence. To me it's like the fashion advice given for men on some shows on cable. I normally scratch my head in dismay that masculine people would want to parade around like that. Some of it makes me want to put a rider in my will that if anyone dresses me like that in my casket I will haunt them for the rest of their life.

For a male my age, 63, height, 6"2", and body type, big boned my ideal weight according to the calculators of health experts, ( http://www.calculato...r=180&x=78&y=12 my ideal weight is between 167 and 194 pounds. I am now 271 and my goal is 220. I haven't been 194 since I was 18 and I was probably about 13 when I was 167, sickly, and just had my appendix out. I ran into an old friend last night and she was very happy about my losing 60 pounds but when I told her I had 50 pounds more to go she freaked out. She thinks I've gone nuts with this, that I don't need to lose that much. That would just get me down to 220, if I went by the calculator I could lose another 104 pounds. I am thinking I would look and feel lousy at their recommended weights. What do you folks think about them? The bodybuilding calculators are different. The ideal weigh for my height is 220 there, IF I am a bodybuilder. I figure my age is going to lower that number because I can't put on the mass that I used to with lowered testosterone. So 205-215 is realistic.

That thought ran through my mind as well. Those first few sips in the hospital were nearly impossible. To get solids at 2 weeks would be equally impossible. I am over a month out and even the mushies are sometimes difficult. I have no desire to throw down a french fry or hamburger, the anticipation of the pain and the certainty of throwing it up quickly squelches any craving I have for it. I crave Soups now. Good taste, no pain. This sleeve gives one a kind of aversion therapy. The discomfort of eating wrong with the occasional need to throw it up sets you straight pretty quick. I used aversion therapy to quit smoking. When I have a desire to purchase an over-priced pack of coffin-nails I recall the time that I was driving down a winding street and the burning part of my cigarette fell off into my lap. The trauma of having to choose between keeping the car on the road and myself alive or putting out the fire down below serves me well as a smoke retardant.

http://www.hollowtop.com/finl_html/mealworms.htm Chitin, the polymer which forms insect exoskeletons, is not easily digested by humans and thus thought to be a source of dietary Fiber. Interesting topic, Pookeyism. It seems the exoskeletons are similar to wheat bran in that they are not easily digested but can be a good source of fiber. My concern would be about whether the chitin breaks down and absorbs Water to make it harmless. I have had no experience with bug eating, voluntarily at least.

As you have gathered from the excellent posts that have gone before, the sleeve is far from being just another diet scheme. Other diets you can mess around and no permanent damage. This is a permanent and serious procedure. During my argumentative stage with my wife, (she got the roux n y before I got my sleeve), I told her it was the equivelent of putting a gun to your head to stop overeating. Drastic words but essentially true. I know I could kill myself right now at any buffet in town just by eating. I could also smoke and infect myself to the point of death. I am improving my health greatly but I could ruin it quickly beyond the point of help by being stupid. this is a video of the procedure which is similiar to ours. Pretty serious stuff. (Caution: graphic)

I know the feeling. Hey, I was the walking land mass that would make buffet owners cry like babies when I walked in. Chinese? Two mountain plates plus dessert. How do I cope now? Small dishes. When I make a can of soup I pour most of it in a storage container and the small amount I can eat in my mini-bowl. I pay attention while I eat, watching TV can ruin concentration. I try to have something planned right after I eat so I have a distraction from wanting to stuff. My sleeve will let me eat too much but slam me a couple of minutes later for it so I have to take my time and I have had to pick up on the subtle feeling that I am full before the uncomfortableness hits. A big, tough guy like me has to "get in touch with his feelings". Wife and I were talking about how it was drilled in our head as kids to "clean up your plate". Something to do with kids somewhere who wouldn't starve if I ate it all. I never could figure out how my stuffing could make them feel better. Anyway, we decided wasting is good. So is take home bags. I have found that if I make my 50-75 gram Protein shake in the morning and hit it off and on through the day I am less hungry. And LOTS of Water helps. You almost have to have one in your hand all the time. If I wake up during the night I get a couple sips from the bottle on my nightstand. We did not take the "easy way to lose weight" as some numskulls accuse us of. This is hard work. But it IS effective and so worth it in renewed health and hotness!