macman

[/quoteHi JenI had a terrific experience with UMass and continue to do so. Dr Czerniach was my surgeon. Absolutely terrific! The surgical appointment was made when the Weight Center submitted my package for insurance approval. My first appointment with him was Nov 18. I met with Robin, the Nurse Practitioner first, then with Dr Czerniach for about 45 minutes each. They talked about the surgery and answered my questions. Have you picked your surgeon?I had BCBS of ILL for insurance. It took about two weeks for approval. While at the Surgical appointment they made additional appointments for an upper GI test at Memorial and a pre surgery physical at the Jaquin Building. My surgery was on 12/23/13 and was about 5 weeks after initial meeting.The post surgery support has also been excellent. I have been attending the post surgery group on the first Thursday of the month and the open discussion group on the fourth Thursday of the month. Both have been very good.I would be happy to answer questions as you think of them. Good Luck?

Hello I am from Douglas and had surgery at UMass. Currently down 130 pounds and just 2 pounds from goal.

HW 362 SW 320 CW 234 TPL 128 TGP 132 2 pounds lost this week.

HW 362 SW 320 CW 236 TPL 126 TGP 132 Back on track with 2 pounds this week. My initial goal is within sight. My six month appointment with the surgeon is in three weeks. Wouldn't it be great to walk in at goal weight?

I am six months out from surgery. I had my first drink about 2 months ago. I was not a big drinker before surgery, usually one or two when out socially with friends or on occasion at home with my wife. I enjoyed most any kind of cocktail but in particular mostly drank wine and bourbon. Since Surgery the most I have had to drink at any one time is two drinks, one time. I was not anywhere close to drunk or intoxicated. Mostly I have found ways to avoid drinking, particularly while at a business dinner. I find it most difficult not to drink when out with friends or other couples. Since the surgery I have not been able to tolerate red wine at all. The tannins in the wine are very acidic and my sleeve does not like them! Bourbon however goes down smoothly. The surgeon recommends not to drink at all. But it is my guilty pleasure in this lifestyle to have one on occasion, especially because I have been amazingly compliant with my diet since surgery.

My morning routine is: Get out of bed, hit the John and then the scale. I officially weigh in eery Sunday morning so I do not let the small weekly fluctuations bother me

I wasnt allowed to have protein bars until I was on a full diet. Than was about 12 weeks. Now I usually fit a Quest protein bar into my daily intake of food. They are quite tasty and good when on the go

Six Month Anniversary 6/23/13 HW 362 SW 320 CW 236 total lost 126 lbs

Six Month Anniversary 6/23/13 HW 362 SW 320 CW 236 total lost 126 lbs

HW 362 SW 320 CW 238 TPL 124 TGP 132 No weight lost this week. I actually feel good about that however . I was on vacation this past week, ate out lunch and dinner every day, and had a few drinks. I did manage to work out regularly and in general my activity level was way up. I feel,good about breaking even given the circumstances.

I start most every morning with a homemade Protein shake. Love the flavors and love starting the day with 30-35 grams of protein! chocolate Peanut Butter-

HW 362 SW 320 CW 238 TPL 124 TGP 132 2 pounds lost this week. I expect this upcoming week to be tougher. Father's Day celebrations today and a week out of town! Happy Father's Day to all the Dad's out there!

I am of the opinion that there are choices no matter where you go. zyou just have to make the right ones. I am not eating bread, potatoes, rice or Pasta. That being said, I got caught on the road without my bag of tricks and stopped at McDonald's. There are some offerings that fit if you make good choices. I got a small side salad and added a piece of grilled chicken with balsamic dressing. It was low in calories, fat and carbs with 20 grams of Protein. The Egg McMuffin is a good choice at Breakfast.

My NUT had me drinking 4oz protein shake on the even hours and 4 oz water on the odd hours all day long, 8am-11pm. It was easier to do when taken in small amounts

Hey Andrew I had a conversation with my. NUT a few weeks ago because of some concern that I had about energy levels and exercise. She recommended an increase of carbs as well, by adding some whole grains, but not to the levels you mentioned. I have been in the 50-60 carb range since surgery six months ago. I raised to 75-80 a few weeks ago and can notice the difference in energy levels. I have remained steady at 1200 calories.

My comments would be the same as above. I take a separate iron tablet (Vitron C) at night before bed. My multiVitamin is Opurity , Bypass and Sleeve optimized Multivitamin. It is from Unjury. It is a chewable, orange berry flavor. It is a little more expensive than most but they guarantee no ingredients from China, which means guaranteed quality.

Chugging Along! HW. 362 on 8/19/13 SW. 320 on 12/23/13 CW. 240 2 pounds this week, 122 pounds total.

I am not quite 60, but will be 59 shortly. I have lost a total 120 pounds. I lost 42 pounds in the six month lead to my surgery and the rest in the last 5 1/2 months. I have followed the program pretty closely. My activity level has been moderate for the most part. I am able to do cardio, on a recumbent bike or elliptical for 30 minutes, 4 times a week. I had the sleeve and had a surgical complication which slowed things down in the beginning, but that is long gone. High Blood Pressure and sleep apnea are gone. I too was worried about being a slow user due to age, but I think that eating per plan, eating low carb and increased activity have helped a lot.

This line of thinking fits with my current plan. I am at 80-90 grams of Protein a day. I usually begin the day with a Protein shake that has 25-30 grams of protein. My remaining meals have between 15-20 grams and two Snacks meet my daily requirements. It makes sense to spread out the amount of protein intake but what the article didn't state was that our bodies are not capable of absorbing huge amounts of protein at any one sitting. Absorption rates do vary by the kind of protein ingested. My understanding is that whey protein is among the best for absorption at about 10-15 grams per hour. So ingesting large amounts protein can end up as stored fat.

I went to a conference in early May. I packed my hand blender, 16 ounce cup and took them with me. I also packed Protein powder and purchased skim milk in the gift shop of my hotel. I was able to have a Protein shake each morning. I also brought almonds, Jerky and Protein Bars for snack time. Other meals were easy as there was a buffet and I could make the choices I wanted. There is always protein or salad and vegetables at a lunch buffet. For dinner we usually went to a restaurant. Once again there was always a choice I could make. Most restaurants are more than happy to accommodate your special requests. I was also able to get up early and use the gym. It actually was easier than I thought it would be.

To be honest I had some Diet Coke mixed with Jack Daniels about 5 months out. I also had a glass of champagne at a celebration dinner with my wife. Other than that I have not had a carbonated drink at all

Before Current, down 120 pounds!

I am 5 months out and can eat anything. I choose not to eat pasta, rice, potatoes or bread. I have never had nausea. I do get a fullness when I have eaten enough, usually 4 ounces of protein and a few vegetables.

I too use MyFitness Pal. I like how it syncs with FitBit so I always know activity levels and nutritional information. The iPhone App will sync with the iPad as well

For every person that has a complication posted on this forum there are 10x as many that do not. It is good to know about potential issues but you can be paralyzed by some of the commentary and the worry that goes with it. I suggest you do the reading, listen to what people say and determine what does or does not apply to you. There is terrific information here if you look for it. For me it has been a valuable resource. Being able to talk with others about similar situations has been invaluable. Understanding the risks associated with the surgery should be part of your decision making process. I knew and understood the potential concerns with the surgery and was willing to proceed, because the long term benefit was too great not to participate. I had a complication that I did not think would happen to me but it did. I dealt with it and moved on. It has been the best decision I made for myself in a long time. I feel great and my life has changed for the better. Maybe it is just me but I couldn't dwell on the what if's once I understand them and commit to move forward.