theoldmusicbox

i've lost 160 so far. and, unfortunately, no, john holmes has not been reincarnated. no 16" or even otr's 4.5" increase have been accomplished. however, yes, mr wiggly has returned and not only am i so very happy that we can speak face to face again, instead of around a mountain, but yeah, it's a noticable difference. more than that though, is all of the ways that skinny sex is much better. so many more possibilities. much more stamina and staying power. some nights, i feel like a teenager again.

emilybites.com has something called 'cupcake meals'. it is meals that you cook in cupcake tins. they are around 150 calories each, the size of a cupcake (perfect portions) and have low fat and decent Protein. there are menus for lasagna cupcakes, taco cupcakes, buffalo chicken cupcakes, etc. etc. i am on the road most of the day through the week. i spend about an hour on sunday making these, then i have lunch all week long. i keep it in a lunchbox. if i'm close to a microwave, it takes 45 sec. to heat it up, or if i'm not close to one, they aren't bad cold either. if you can carry a lunchbox, they are perfect for on the go. she also has great meals for all around too.

Pb2 is awesome

cupcake meals from emilybites.com! 1hr baking on sunday gives me Breakfast and lunch for the entire week! plus, they can be eaten hot or straight outta the lunch box. string cheese dry-roasted, lightly salted soybeans (edemames)

My children (14 and 12) being able to hug me 1 at a time and be able to clasp their hands behind my back for the very first time in their lives. :') A picture of me crossing the finish line at a 5k race! Me saying, no thanks, I don't want seconds. Pure shock on the face of someone you haven't seen in a while.

My favorite one.... "he's lost over 100 pounds?!? I wonder if he's still funny?" "nope, all my funny melted off"

"wls is the easy way out ya puss" "well, at least I found a way out, how's the hard way working out for you?"

I'm 3 months out, I do 1/2 hr of circuit training 3 days a week, then 1/2 hr exercise bike 1 day, and 3 mile walk one day, then play with my kids on the weekend and call that my cardio. I also have a very physical job that requires a lot of walking, pulling and heavy lifting, so, that wraps up my program.

Dude, I was 5'6" 373 pounds. 56" waist, 28" inseam. 5-6x shirt. I also had hbp, irregular heartbeat, sleep apnea, and a host of other comorbs. They were able to do mine without going open, out of the hospital day after surgery. I was sleeved on June 4. I'm at 258 now, wearing size 44-46" waist and a 2x shirt. Get up and walk the halls as soon as you are able, that will help with your gas pains, and get you feeling normal quicker. You can do this buddy. Only a complete idiot would go into this without a little anxiety. Here's to your new life buddy. Good luck on your journey

I loved tubing when I was younger. Go you! Here's to many more fun activities to come!

These are my go to resources. There are some great ideas that make you feel like a normal person, and it's really good food. http://gastricsleeve4me.blogspot.com/

so, i started this journey with my preop diet on April 1, 2012. at 5'6" i weighed in at 373. i got my sleeve on june 4, 2012. now, on september 1, i am still only 5'6" but now i weigh in at 258. i decided to Celebrate by sharing a before and after (during, since i'm not at goal yet) photo. my beautiful wife is a non-op, but is so supportive of me that she has lost 54 pounds by eating with me, and excercising with me. also, to share my favorite nsv so far. i was able to join my cross country running son in a 5k, the second picture is me getting ready to cross the finish line at 49 min 20 seconds. life is good, just wanted to share.

I don't have anything for the cream soups, but, for when you get to have real food again (soft food and further) these are my go to resources, and everything we've tried from here has been really good food. http://gastricsleeve4me.blogspot.com/

I was using a stool softener, but my doc said that was treating the symptom, not fixing the problem. He said I needed to get more Fiber and things would start moving. Started taking fiber advance tummies (makes me feel like I get candy!) and now, I'm moving fairly regular, without 'pushing'. Good luck

Not silly at all. Last night, I cut my own toenails, for the first time in 10 years. Doin the happy dance with you!

I started at 373, surgery went fine, still able to do it without going 'open'. I've had practically NO complications. On a side note, I'm only 5'6" so 373 means 56" waist 28" inseam, 5-6x shirt. So, yeah, I was a beach ball with hands and feet. It is normal to have fears, we all did at some point

hey guys, welcome to what, for me at least, has been the best decision I have made in a long time. The best advice I can give to pre ops, is start looking now into the kinds of foods you should eat after surgery. I was so consumed with the pre op diet, then the liquid stage of post op Protein shakes, that I totally forgot that I'd get to eat real food eventually. There are some really good resources out there for us, and these are the four that are my go to recipe sites. recipes for the whole family. Breakfast or lunch all week. Good luck on your journey

If you think the pre op diet sucks, just wait til you get to the wonderful joys of the post op diet All kidding aside, yes, it does suck, and during the liquid stage of post op, there will be days that you want to eat a bullet instead of another cup of Jello, but just keep this in mind. Once you get through the fazes and get to the 'soft food' stage, it will seem like a distant memory and you will be tickled that you get 'real food' again. And hey, this is the road that has taken me from 373 to 260 in 5 months. (2 months pre op diet 3 months post op). also, for post op, start looking into recipes now so you have a plan. These are the sites that I get a lot of ideas from Emilybites.com is amazing resource Bariatricfoodie Gastricsleeve4me Theworldaccordingtoeggface Good luck

My parents don't even know. When people ask me how I'm losing it, I just tell them that I'm working with a nutritionist and she has me on a tailored diet that stays under 1500 calories a day that is high protein, low fat, low carb, and a lot of walking. All of this is true, and since I'm not saying I'm on some crazy 'diet', if they try to do what I say I'm doing, the worst that happens is that they go to a NUT and learn some healthy eating habits

if you are really craving Pasta and aren't cleared for it yet, check out emilybites.com she has a recipe for lasagna cupcakes (lasagna made in cupcake tins) using wonton wrappers instead of pasta. it is amazing. i actually made these for my non op parents that don't know ive had surgery, and my dad said it was some of the best pasta that he'd had in a long time........ there's no pasta in it, but you'd never know. good luck.

For me, after the first 3 days, I didn't really have pain, I had discomfort. But it's different for everyone. But, since I have a very physical job, I had to take several weeks off before I could do the heavy lifting required. unjury makes a decent Protein packed chicken broth, during the full liquid stage, I lived on Protein shakes and strained cream of chicken soup. Every doctor is different. Mine let me go straight from full liquids to soft food. He just said to make sure I chewed really good. My family is very much like his. If he doesn't want them to know, he can do what I do. When they ask, tell most of the truth. I tell them that my dr told me I was going to be diabetic in 2 years and dead in 10 if I didn't make changes, so I started working with a nutritionist who has me on a tailored diet and I have to stay under 1500 calories a day. I'm not lying, and if they follow me, the worst that can happen is they learn to eat healthy. And I'm very good at making a plate looked fuller than it is, and that I've eaten more than I have. I never really got more drive to workout, I just make myself do it. After the 1st 50 pounds came off, it got a lot more enjoyable though (ok, since we're being honest, I'll say I don't feel like I'm gonna pass out or die anymore, so that's kinda like being enjoyable right?) The only problem I had is that I had EXTREME cotton mouth for the first 6 weeks. Make sure he has a Water bottle within reach at all times. You don't want to have to go back to the hospital for dehydration. Other than that, my only problem has been that I have to run to the local thrift store every few weeks to get new pants, cause Im not payin full price for jeans I will only be able to wear for a month I'm so glad that he has your support. The fact that you are on here for him speaks volumes of the love and care that you have for him. This is, at times, a hard road to walk, but, with my wife on board, it's a lot easier. Also, start looking into recipes now. Emilybites.com has amazing recipe ideas that you can start using now to help get started during preop

It took me almost a full six weeks to get rid of my constant cottonmouth. Never be far away from your Water bottle. Not so unbearable now (2.5 months out) but I still keep my bottle with me everywhere I go. I remember several times, I woke up more than 2xs a night because my thirst was painful. It gets better, I promise.

My new favorite snack is grilled stuffed jalepenos! Sliced, then stuffed with 0fat cream cheese with Italian seasoning, then grilled for 5-6 minutes. I started doing that around week 6. So, yeah, I guess some sleeves still get to enjoy spice! I also mixed a diced habenero in with my cheesy mashed cauliflower bake this week! Mmm

I know how you feel. At one point, I was on the phone with my insurance rep being told that NO, even though my surgery was covered, and part of THEIR requirements for me to have surgery was a visit with a nutritionist, that my $250 office visit to the nutritionist was NOT a covered benefit! I finally said to him, "you know, with all the money I'm going to be saving you in the long run, I figured you'd be taking me by the hand and saying 'come on fatty let's go', but it almost seems like you're trying to make this more difficult than it has to be" Trust me though, it does get better, and for me, it was worth all of the 4 years I spent waiting to get it done. I was 373, now I'm 266. (5'6"). I ran/walked a 5k race last weekend in 49:30, my kids can hug me and touch hands behind my back. I can tie my shoes without feeling like I'm going to pass out, I can sit in a booth at a restaurant, and the list goes on and on! If I had to do it all over again, I would jump through all the hoops all over again because, for me, it was worth every bit of 'hazing' they put me through. It does get better. Hoping all the best for you.

I wear mine on a sterling chain around my neck.