ArcusX

In addition to what has already been mentioned above (Zumba & Kinect Sports), I see my kids really get sweating to Dance Central, which can probably had pretty inexpesively. Dance games are not for me, though. For most strait white guys, there's only one reason to dance, and weight loss isn't it! lol

Did any of you go out and pick up one of those high end blenders, like the Blendtec or Vitamix for your liquid / puree diet phase? If you did, was it worth it? Do you continue to use it?

I found Isopure to be hands-down better than the RTD varieties I've tried, including Premier mentioned above. You can't beat the 50g of Protein and zero carbs. I got a sample pack of unjury, but haven't tried it yet. It seems to be well recommended here.

You could have at least LICKED the prime rib, right? Would serve him right for putting you through that!

Nice progress!

I'm not sure it qualifies as a "fear," but I am concerned about loose, flappy, slappy, excess skin. I'm not a big "skin-care" kind of guy, but I suspect I will be once I have the surgery. "Preparation H" anyone?

Don't worry... I'm sure you won't be miserable!

You're going to have a rough, stressful go... good luck!

My neighbor had his around 3 years ago, and tell me he can eat and drink almost anything he wants, but just smaller quantities. The only thing he still has problems with is carbonation. That said, years ago, a buddy of mine had declaired that he never uses a straw. When asked why, he said, "Picture this: you come upon a big bad mean biker and he stares you down and hells while wagging his finger at you: 'Hey you.. GET THE F*** AWAY FROM MY HARLEY', then takes a sip of his big gulp from a straw. Kind of takes the "tough" out of the situation, don't you think?"

Severe GERD = no sleeve. Also, if sweets are a real issue, RNY may be recommended, because you can't tolerate sweets as you can with VSG. Those are the big differentiators as I understand them.

Sit still?

I've been drinking a lot of Water with Mio added for flavor. Love it! http://www.kraftbrands.com/mio/

I think I'd rather crap my pants!

Is Unjury any good with water? Talking about the vanilla, chocolate, & strawberry. I just got the sample pack and they all say to mix w/ milk, "or beverage of your choice."

Why did I get a little titillated when I read the subject?

Fun post... First, lay some groundwork by switching from beer to a clear drink like vodka/water, gin/tonic, etc. Second, don't tell them anything. If they ask about the vodka, blow it off to wanting to switch it up or some such nonsense. Third, after surgery switching from vodka/gin-based drink to Water will go unnoticed. Finally, when the weight starts melting off and they notice, tell them you ordered a tapeworm off the internet. What can I say? I'm a problem solver!

Popular NSV, me thinks!

Is that "once daily?"

Yeah, my wife isn't especially supportive either. Nothing snide, but I can tell there are some insecurities there. Not sure how that's going to go...

It's really fascinating the range here. I'd have to say I'm probably most like member 'kmwheel.' I figured there probably wouldn't be much hiding it after the weight starts really dropping off. Maybe I'll tell people I ordered a tapeworm on the internet!

I read at least two posts this morning, including this one by member charchar that mention not really telling people you know about going through this process of surgery. I can count on one hand how many people I know who know about my decision. It's an interesting dynamic. I'm usually overly forthcoming, but not with this. I realize I'm eventually going to have to tell people right? When I drop ~100 lbs in ~6 months, surely people will start asking questions. What are my reasons not to tell them? There's a slim chance I'll back out. I don't need nay-sayers (like my brother already is). I guess the more I think about it is, it's a little embarrassing that I can't lose the weight - and keep it off - any other way. So, which direction have you chosen and why?

I think another reason is that with the sleeve, there is the "malabsorption" aspect and you need to give your system time to absorb some nutrients, rather than just wash it all down, as SpaceDust indicates. This is definitely going to be a difficulty for me as well, so it's probably good that you are getting into that "habit" now. Come to think of it, I should probably start to work on that as well.

I sort of did the same thing. The blog I started (link below), is not meant for people I know, as there could be things in there that may make people feel bad. Not that I'm trying.. I'm just putting it out there, once and for all.

I've been on Actos for around 2 years now, and the diabetes is one major factor in my moving forward with VSG. In all this time I've been on this medication, I find that I actually struggle to keep enough sugar in my system, especially between Breakfast and lunch. I find if I don't have a substantial enough breakfast, my BG takes a dive. During my initial consult with the VSG surgeon, he said he wanted me to cut out the liquid calories, including any milk as part of my plan to lose ~ 10 pounds before the surgery. So, no more Cereal for breakfast. When I met with the dietitian, I asked him about recommendations, and he suggested replacing breakfast with a Protein shake/drink. Well, today, I had one for breakfast, the 11 oz Premier Protein Drink you get at Sam's & costco. I started feeling like crap less than 2 hours after... meaning, that the meds are preventing that breakfast from lasting for me. I'm considering stopping the Actos. Have you had a similar issue? What did you do?