Recycled

OK, wow 10 pages..... I read like....one. Too much drama. I am a poster from way back. Just popped on for a few comments cause the title applied to me right now.. How's everyone doing....??
Here's my imput from my experience. We all are getting or got the surgery because we COULDN'T lose the weight or always put it back on.........desperate....last ditch effort. And.....for me it worked. I lost the weight. But
As it is not a magic bullet, some was the surgery and most was my dieting & exercise effort. (go figure)
So, just like always in the past .......I regained (some. not all) When the benefits of the suregery wore off and hunger and cravings returned.....I, of course went back to some bad habits. Put on 30 lbs.
So here's the punchline.......Of course I know what will work. And now, with no other options available I simply have to get back to what I was doing after surgery. And it will come back off.....And I will continue to struggle with cravings and diet. Sorry guys. Those are the facts. Everybody has their own way of doing it, and all you can do is accept it and get it done. Have a nice day guys.
Hey.....no- one can force anyone to accept their views on anything here..... so the drama is kinda wasted.

OK, wow 10 pages..... I read like....one. Too much drama. I am a poster from way back. Just popped on for a few comments cause the title applied to me right now.. How's everyone doing....??
Here's my imput from my experience. We all are getting or got the surgery because we COULDN'T lose the weight or always put it back on.........desperate....last ditch effort. And.....for me it worked. I lost the weight. But
As it is not a magic bullet, some was the surgery and most was my dieting & exercise effort. (go figure)
So, just like always in the past .......I regained (some. not all) When the benefits of the suregery wore off and hunger and cravings returned.....I, of course went back to some bad habits. Put on 30 lbs.
So here's the punchline.......Of course I know what will work. And now, with no other options available I simply have to get back to what I was doing after surgery. And it will come back off.....And I will continue to struggle with cravings and diet. Sorry guys. Those are the facts. Everybody has their own way of doing it, and all you can do is accept it and get it done. Have a nice day guys.
Hey.....no- one can force anyone to accept their views on anything here..... so the drama is kinda wasted.

the jeans do a great job. You really only know what a wreck you are when naked.

I have before and after pics in my profile. It's funny cause I wouldn't put the before until I reached my goal and could put the after pic. Kinda shows how the renewed feelings of self confidence washes away all the negative feelings and embarrassment we felt when we were fat
But now it's all good...... You'll get there too. It's a fantastic feeling.

The most versatile would be a 12" Dewalt double bevel sliding MiterSaw. Get the folding stand for it too. Should handle most of what you need and still stow away reasonably.

While I get what the controversy on the whole 15-30 grams thing is all about......if someone does in fact have a product that can effectively amount to an end result of more absorption per gram than the others.....exactly how would you market it so the consumer can relate to the benefits. If it is not apples for apples, it can't be compared the same.
Example - Take a car that travels at 50 mph for a distance of 30 miles to a destination. However the engine is very inefficient and only gets 10 miles per gallon using 3 gallons of gas to get there.
Along comes another vehicle that is much more efficiently tuned and travelling at the same 50 mph, gets 30 miles to the gallon and only uses one gallon of gas.
Result - same distance, same speed 1/3 less gas. ergo: same grams of Protein, less product.
All I'm saying is, I get their principle and can use the product accordingly. If I get good results, I'll continue to use it.
Besides, everything else I've tried tastes like crap......and this is tasteless.

Turn the tables.......walk up to her next time with your cell and video her rant.......then let her know you're sticking it on U-tube. She'll avoid you like the plague from then on.

Oh, Alex. "terrorize"? Really?
Look, I'm not as outraged as some people are, and I'm not demanding that you delete my account. You're running a business and it's been helpful for me. But, it would be great if you'd not use that kind of language. I'm a military veteran, married to an active duty soldier and believe me, there's not one iota of terrorizing going on here. Bullied, maybe. Terrorized? Don't make me laugh.
The people you just either banned or caused to leave are the reason I'm here and the reason many people are here...I get NOTHING from newbies eating pizza in their bathrooms so their spouses don't know they're 'cheating'. But when LL slapped me upside my virtual head when I asked about wine at 6 weeks post-op? THAT helped. AND, it made me think 'hey, my team was wrong about BP, there are some nuggets of wisdom to be gleaned there'...I hate that they were right, and I'm going to have to admit it at my real-life support group meeting next week.
The snowflakes have had their fun, and when they all leave because they've hit goal or stopped losing because of their crappy habits, it's going to be sad and lonely around here...you may have 310,273 accounts (which we now understand to mean 'anyone who ever signed up, ever'), but you probably have about 50 active posters and about 100 more who drop in from time to time, in the sleeve forums. That's not a robust readership, by any means. I'm sad to see this, and although I may stick around for a while, it's only because of 2 or 3 people who I think need support...there's no support left here for me. And I'm going to buy my Vitamins, Proteins and Moon cheese elsewhere...I never get free shipping anyway.

EVERY SINGLE POSTER, without exception, who have defended Alex's decisions have joined within the past 6 months. If that doesn't speak volumes about the type of member being courted by this site I don't know what would. Veterans who have met goal do not spend $$ in the store, or support recommended surgeons/healthcare facilities (Medical Tourism).
Gone is the experience the veterans so freely shared. Sure, their advice was not always rainbows and unicorns, but it was truthful.
Some of us do NOT want coddled, we want help on this journey. We want information that can ONLY come from those that have lived it!
Although this is my first post, I have been lurking, reading & researching for over a year.

From LipstickLady:
**I am PISSED that he implied that I was part of any backyard bullying club. Not only would I **never** do that, but I've known for a good year that he was reading PMs so if I was going to do that, it certainly wouldn't be there. I would be THRILLED if one of you posted THIS EXACT MESSAGE in that thread and say that it was from me.**
Alex, wtf? How can anyone find this place to be a 'safe space' if we're subject to outright lies being told about us? I'm completely bewildered by your unprecedented breach of normal website behavior...since when do site owners a) read private messages and then comment on the content of said PMs publicly?

I think you've painted yourself into a corner here. What I don't understand is WHY you've done it.

Teeth breaking one:

Then I thought, perhaps a spelling mistake for:

This reminded me of yet another spelling example (very cute though):

Finally I found this:

And amazingly there is a war regarding bugles on BP!
Bugle trumpet World War 1

Lastly, my favourite: Peter Sellers "the Party"

Just an observation here. When you asked, "Is that OK?" You are leaving the door open for all sorts of responses. You should not be surprised if you receive ones that are not to your liking. Believe it or not, they are often the best ones. Eating that type of food so soon after surgery can risk your health as well as sabotage the entire purpose for doing this. Would you be happier if people simply endorsed your behavior?

Calm down everyone.......There are only two answers you need to know.......
1. Time will answer all your questions.....
and
2. Throw anything in a blender and it will be soft.

It’s been three years and, as I did a year ago, I wanted to post my annual update. The two year update, which includes the one year update is linked below. Enjoy.
What's changed from year 2-3?
No longer a fat guy. I changed jobs and met a lot of new people over the year. Combined with the fact that I'm 3 years out from surgery meant being a fat guy, both in my head and as reflected by people around me, is a very faint memory. I had the surgery when my kids were 3 and 6. They don’t really even remember me being fat, until they see pictures which just makes them giggle. This is a good thing, but when I reflect back on the 35 years of being overweight, it still blows me away.
Portions Normalized. I really am just a normal (for a non-fat person) eater. I eat whatever I want, just normal portions of it. Breakfast might be 2 eggs and a piece of toast, lunch is a half sandwich and some Soup (or a whole sandwich without the bread), dinner is frozen dinner from trader joes or a small portion of just about anything. For those of you yet to have the surgery and can't imagine eating so little or those of you who just recently had surgery and can't imagine eating so much, I know it sounds very strange. Between years 2 and 3, I'd say the portion sizes really seemed to normalize. Here's the best way to describe it: Look at the nutritional information on something -- like a package of ravioli or a can of chili, etc. and find the serving size. That's pretty much what I can eat until I feel full and happy. In the olden days pre-surgery -- those suggested serving sizes always seemed like some sort of hostile joke!
Battling 10 Extra Pounds. I feel like I have to watch my weight and need to lose 10 pounds. This is new. I weigh 194 on a 5'11" frame, wear medium or large shirts and have a waist of 34 or 35 inches depending on the brand. Don't get me wrong, that's amazing. BUT, last year, I weighed 185, which did feel a bit better. I'd like to say that my weight has finally normalized, but that wouldn't be totally in line with how I feel. The point is that, just like about everyone else I know, I'm working on losing those extra 10! For the first year of surgery, I couldn't stop LOSING weight. In the second year, I rarely thought about my weight. Now, in the third year, I feel like I need to lose 10.
Health is Excellent. I just had my annual physical and everything is great. Blood sugar: Normal. Cholesterol: Normal. Same with everything else. I still take 20mg of Omeprazole for heartburn at least 5 out of 7 nights. It doesn't have any noticeable side effects and if I don't take it, I definitely get mild to medium heartburn.
Some Advice to Those on the Fence:
If you can, do it. Like a lot of people on this site, I'd say my only regret is not doing the surgery sooner. I honestly think (no scientific proof) that there is just simply something wrong between my head and stomach that resulted in me NOT having and "off" switch when it came to food. I'd watch other people that seemed to like food, get a plate at the buffet and then just eat a normal portion and stop. I'd go to the buffet, fill up a big plate and then get seconds and thirds. Even then, I'd probably just stop eating because I felt disgusted with myself or embarrassed, rather than feeling satisfied. This surgery really helped me in that way. As I noted above, I'm one of those small one-plate people now. By weighing a regular weight, life has completely changed. I wear normal clothes, can participate in all sorts of activities, happily sit in the back of the plane, etc, etc, etc. I wish I would have done the surgery when I was 21, not 39.
VSG helps Quantity, Not Rate or Frequency. You engineers might appreciate this. Basically, VSG allows me to eat much less quantity at any one sitting. It doesn't tell me which foods to eat. You will need to find ways to eat steamed salmon vs. fried chicken, broccoli vs. mashed potatoes, etc. In the very early days, I really disgusted by really fatty food and was also worried about Protein intake. As a result, I directed my eating towards healthier foods. Three years out, VSG no longer helps with those types of decisions. Furthermore, if you like to graze, VSG doesn't help that at all. I work in an office that has Snacks all over the place. It's super easy to grab a handful of mm's or a bag of doritos every time I pass by the snack area (actually that's part of the reason I'm up 9 pounds from last year). I just want to set expectations about what you’re getting and NOT getting.
Alcohol drinkers: Watch out. You can't eat much with VSG, but drinking is even easier than before. About 6 months ago, I felt like I was drinking too much and have limited my intake by a lot (1 or 2 drinks per night, not 5 or 6). I know, I know, still too much. My point is that this is a real risk area and something that needs to be considered.
This post is getting long enough, so I'll stop here. If any of you would like to reach out with a PM, I'd be happy to chat. Good luck.
http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/355438-two-year-post-opp-upda/

Hey, it may not work for your type of personality.....but I have found the shock of sarcasm to be very effective in dealing with most people. And even if it isn't......it's funny for me.

Well, that would mean no Protein drinks, no coffee with Creamer, no milk... I "struggle" with carbs. (Well, not really, I just avoid them.) A few beers a week won't kill me, though. I'm fairly certain I'm not the minority. Most vets I know drink wine, beer or mixed drinks occasionally and are still successful. My surgeon ok'd it once I hit maintenance so I'm fairly certain I'll be fine.
I'm so far out I no longer take meds, but if yours say to abstain, you absolutely should!!

Hey, it may not work for your type of personality.....but I have found the shock of sarcasm to be very effective in dealing with most people. And even if it isn't......it's funny for me.

Hey, it may not work for your type of personality.....but I have found the shock of sarcasm to be very effective in dealing with most people. And even if it isn't......it's funny for me.

Hey, it may not work for your type of personality.....but I have found the shock of sarcasm to be very effective in dealing with most people. And even if it isn't......it's funny for me.

Isurca,
It's just some pre-surgery jitters.
I have a little exercise that will help you get in control and relax tomorrow. After they hook up your IV, they'll be in several times before they take you to surgery to check your vitals.
When the nurse comes in to check you BP, (blood pressure) I want you to concentrate deeply in your mind on the most relaxing place you can think of.......like a hammock on the beach with a nice breeze blowing and the sound of the waves as you sway back and forth with your eyes closed......feel yourself relaxing and breathing slowly while you enjoy those deep thoughts. Take yourself there in your mind. You will feel you BP going down and your heartrate slowing. - The game is to see low you can make your BP by controlling your ability to relax. By doing so, you will find you have the control over your nerves. And once you are able to relax, you will feel so much better.
I know you can do it. You're gonna be just fine.

YOU alone need to be the "somebody" that cares.
And you ARE alone in this.
You, alone put the weight on and you alone will be responsible for doing what it takes to get it off. You're gonna be alone at night when the urges to eat more strikes you. You're gonna be alone on that treadmill or lifting weights or jogging.
Your're gonna be alone measuring only the few ounces of food for meals. You're gonna be alone when walking the grocery aisles....passing up all the junk food. You're gonna be alone standing on the scale and it hasn't moved in weeks.
So if you do "care" about yourself. Get used to being alone and get strong and focused. You have what is takes to do this alone.
And don't worry about the alone part later.........Everybody is gonna notice you!!!

Isurca,
It's just some pre-surgery jitters.
I have a little exercise that will help you get in control and relax tomorrow. After they hook up your IV, they'll be in several times before they take you to surgery to check your vitals.
When the nurse comes in to check you BP, (blood pressure) I want you to concentrate deeply in your mind on the most relaxing place you can think of.......like a hammock on the beach with a nice breeze blowing and the sound of the waves as you sway back and forth with your eyes closed......feel yourself relaxing and breathing slowly while you enjoy those deep thoughts. Take yourself there in your mind. You will feel you BP going down and your heartrate slowing. - The game is to see low you can make your BP by controlling your ability to relax. By doing so, you will find you have the control over your nerves. And once you are able to relax, you will feel so much better.
I know you can do it. You're gonna be just fine.

Little Bill. First....Congrats. Really good results so far.
A couple of heads-up pointers along the way. Don't fret the stages. They will come and go and you'll progress right along with them. The sleeve's biggest benefit is the honeymoon stage. Yep, you're married to that mini-stomach now.......and it's great (at the beginning, just like marriage. just like the honeymoon) But you gotta change dude. You gotta capitalize on the honeymoon time to get your affairs in order. Your affairs being......
1. Eating the CORRECT foods in the correct nutritional proportions.
2. Exercise. ---- forever
That's it. That's the mantra.!!! But there is a catch. You have to get those two things ingrained in you brain and in your routine like your body's need for blood. They need to become irrevocable habits.
Why......you ask. The Doc told me the sleeve will keep the weight off..........Ehhh.....wrong.
Once the honeymoon is over, the cravings will return, your ability to eat everything will return and if you eat everything at all times in all the wrong proportions and amounts.....you WILL regain, sleeve or no sleeve.
So make the best of this time. Stick like glue to your routines. Make them the new you. Make them serve you forever. Give yourself the tools to ward off the return to our old ugly unhealthy ways.
OK sermon over. Again great job. Keep up the fantastic work. And remember.....the sleeve didn't do it...you did.

Isurca,
It's just some pre-surgery jitters.
I have a little exercise that will help you get in control and relax tomorrow. After they hook up your IV, they'll be in several times before they take you to surgery to check your vitals.
When the nurse comes in to check you BP, (blood pressure) I want you to concentrate deeply in your mind on the most relaxing place you can think of.......like a hammock on the beach with a nice breeze blowing and the sound of the waves as you sway back and forth with your eyes closed......feel yourself relaxing and breathing slowly while you enjoy those deep thoughts. Take yourself there in your mind. You will feel you BP going down and your heartrate slowing. - The game is to see low you can make your BP by controlling your ability to relax. By doing so, you will find you have the control over your nerves. And once you are able to relax, you will feel so much better.
I know you can do it. You're gonna be just fine.

Isurca,
It's just some pre-surgery jitters.
I have a little exercise that will help you get in control and relax tomorrow. After they hook up your IV, they'll be in several times before they take you to surgery to check your vitals.
When the nurse comes in to check you BP, (blood pressure) I want you to concentrate deeply in your mind on the most relaxing place you can think of.......like a hammock on the beach with a nice breeze blowing and the sound of the waves as you sway back and forth with your eyes closed......feel yourself relaxing and breathing slowly while you enjoy those deep thoughts. Take yourself there in your mind. You will feel you BP going down and your heartrate slowing. - The game is to see low you can make your BP by controlling your ability to relax. By doing so, you will find you have the control over your nerves. And once you are able to relax, you will feel so much better.
I know you can do it. You're gonna be just fine.